


Do Not Go Gentle

by xtremeroswellian



Category: Jericho (US 2006)
Genre: Abuse, Alternate ending for Casus Belli, Blackmail, Drama, F/M, Mentions of past domestic violence, Phil Constantino is a bad person, Rescue, interrogations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:21:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 12,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23450863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtremeroswellian/pseuds/xtremeroswellian
Summary: In an attempt to gain information about Jericho that will give New Bern the upperhand, Constantino holds Heather prisoner.
Relationships: Jake Green/Heather Lisinski
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

Everything was dark.

The interrogation room--if that’s even where she was, was now completely silent. More silent than any night at a house in Jericho.

To not know when someone was going to return, to dish out more punishment--more bruises and cuts--was enough to induce an anticipatory panic attack for most.

But not for one who had spent hours and hours lying in the pitch black of night not knowing for sure whether she’d live to see morning.

Her childhood had conditioned her to steel herself against the terror that others would find paralyzing. For her it was more like an out-of-body experience, a person simply watching a slow-motion scene from years ago, only instead of her mother’s body being battered, she was watching it happen to her own.

She could no longer feel her arms, though she remembered they’d handcuffed them behind her to the chair. The blood on her pale face had long since dried. But the most maddening thing of all was that her nose itched and she had no way to scratch it.

Somewhere in the distance she heard a soft murmur.

Keep quiet, baby, the familiar voice whispered. Don’t make a sound.

Heather Lisinski shut her eyes tightly as she heard the approaching footsteps.

Hush.


	2. Chapter 2

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,  
Because their words had forked no lightning they  
Do not go gentle into that good night.

\--Dylan Thomas

Jake’s eyes widened as he walked up Main Street to see his oldest friend in the world talking to Mary Bailey. “Stanley! I didn’t expect to see you back so soon!”

“None of us did.”

“How are you?” he asked, hugging him briefly. “You okay?”

Stanley nodded a little.

“Where’s Eric?”

“He didn’t come back with us.”

“Why not?”

“When I talked to him, he was still pretty messed up about April’s death. Said he thought he’d stay in New Bern for awhile o get his head together”

“When was this?” Jake asked, worry furrowing his eyebrows.

“Three days ago,” Stanley said, dropping his voice. “Then he didn’t show up for work and I haven’t seen him since. I don’t know what’s going on in New Bern. I asked about Eric and no one could tell me anything. Then the cops starting escorting us everywhere we went.”

Jake’s frown deepened and he chewed on his lower lip.

“Then today. Today Russell says pack it up, we’re going home. Like it wasn’t safe for us there anymore.”

Jake shifted his gaze a little ways down the road, then set his jaw, moving toward his target, Stanley right behind him.

“Where’s my brother?” he demanded.

Russell turned to face him, an almost guilty look on his face. “I don’t know.”

“What?”

“I know he hasn’t been seen for a few days.”

“Did you even try to find him?”

“I asked Constantino.”

“And?

“And he told me they were looking for him. And then this morning he told me to bring the rest of your guys home.”

“What the hell’s going on over there, Russell? Should I be worried about him?”

Russell didn’t look at him.

Jake shoved him up against the truck. “Answer me! Should I be worried?”

“I would be.” His words were quiet.

He stared at the other man for a moment, then released him and headed away.

“I’m going with you,” Stanley stated.

“No. You’ve been gone for weeks. Go home.” He kept walking.

“You need someone who knows their way around New Bern, Jake.”

“I’ll try to find Heather as soon as I get there. She knows it better than any of us.”

“Jake.”

The tone in Stanley’s voice made him stop in his tracks.

“Heather’s missing too.”

* * *

“How many officers are there in Jericho?” he demanded, his face close to hers.

She held his gaze and remained silent, barely flinching when the other mad advanced upon her with the thin strip of leather.

“Tell us and we’ll let you go, Heather. We don’t want to hurt you.”

She gave him a dubious look. “No, you just want to take over Jericho.”

Constantino raised an eyebrow, then cast a sideways glance at the other man, nodding slightly.

She heard the leather strap sail through the air and she shut her eyes tightly.

She refused to cry out.

She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.


	3. Chapter 3

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright  
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,  
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

\--Dylan Thomas

Jake’s hands clenched the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white. His jaw was clenched almost as tightly as he stopped his car and rolled down the window. In the passenger seat, Hawkins did the same.

“Proof of residence,” said a man holding a shotgun.

“We don’t live here. We’re here to see Eric Green.”

“Sorry. We’re not letting anyone in but residents.”

“I’m here to see Eric Green,” Jake repeated evenly. “He’s my brother.”

“Turn your car around and leave.”

He was quickly losing his patience. “My brother came here to work as part of the deal you people made with Jericho, and I’m not leaving until I see him!”

“Jake,” Hawkins cautioned, his voice low.

“Step out of the car,” the man commanded.

“Hell no,” Jake retorted, staring straight ahead.

“Step out of the car!”

Tensing, he pointed his gun toward the man, though he kept it in his coat and out of sight.

“Wait.” Another authoritative figure, this one in full-on law enforcement gear peered into the car. “This is Johnston Green’s son. Let him in. I’ll escort him to see Sheriff Constantino.”

Jake eyed the men and slowly tucked his gun away once more.

Hawkins glanced at him sideways, nodding very slightly.

They were in.

* * *

She’d almost forgotten how painful broken ribs were. As the second or third--hell maybe even the fourth--blow landed to her ribcage, something altered and her mind shifted between her current, conscious reality and her past, unconscious memories.

“Mom,” she whispered, blinking rapidly to make out her mother’s figure standing a few feet away from her, at the top of the staircase.

“We can fix this,” she whispered, backing away from the other figure.

“It’s too fucking late for that!”

“It’s never too late, John.”

“Sometimes it is.”

A loud bang made her gasp for breath and she pressed a hand to her stomach.

“She’s never going to talk. Take her back to the cells,” an angry voice snapped.

Distantly she felt her world tilt as she was yanked to her feet. But her body was numb.

And then everything was suddenly, blissfully dark.

* * *

“You’re the mayor and the sheriff. Don’t tell me there’s nothing else you can do,” Jake said, glaring at Constantino.

“Hey.” His voice was sharp, and held a hint of warning. “A lot of people in New Bern are pretty upset with your town. All the rumors that are flying around--”

“What rumors?” Hawkins interrupted.

“That you knew Ravenwood was coming here next.”

Jake’s heart sank. If the people in New Bern truly believed that, what hope was there that Eric and Heather were even still alive? He swallowed hard to try and rid the bile from throat.

“We didn’t know that. We barely managed to get rid of them ourselves. How were we supposed to know where they were going?” Hawkins shook his head.

“Look, we’ve done what we could. The truth is your brother could be anywhere. He could be on a binge, or lying in a ditch somewhere--”

Jake’s eyes narrowed and he lunged toward the deputy but Hawkins pulled him back. “I wanna see Heather Lisinski. Now.”

Something dark passed over Constantino’s eyes. “Who?”

“Heather Lisinski,” he repeated, taking a step toward the older man.

The deputy glanced at Constantino sideways. “I know who he’s talking about. Pretty brunette. Real smart.”

A flicker of a smile settled on his lips. “Right. Of course. We’ll take you to her.”

Hawkins glanced sideways at Jake. “I’m gonna head back to Jericho.”

Jake held his gaze. “I’ll see you back there.” He tossed him the keys to his car.

Then he turned and followed Constantino and the deputy toward City Hall.

* * *

“Get your hands off me!” Jake commanded the deputy as the man seized his arms as soon as they were in City Hall. “Where’s Eric? Where’s Heather?”

“Keep your voice down,” Constantino ordered, drawing a gun on him.

He glared at them with barely contained disgust. “I think you know exactly where they are.”

“Well, you’re half right.” The deputy shoved him down the corridor, then waited til Constantino unlocked the next one, revealing a room with jail cells.

“Get in there.”

Jake’s jaw clenched as he stepped into the cell that Constantino held open.

“Sorry it had to come to this, Jake. I like your father. He’s a good man. But we have to do what we have to do, you know?”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Constantino shut the cell door and locked it again, not replying. He and the deputy turned and headed down the corridor.

“Great,” Jake mumbled. “That’s just great.”

“What are you complaining about?”

He turned to see an older man slumped on one of the benches.

“You’re a hell of a lot better off than some of us.”

Jake followed the man’s gaze to the far side of the jail cell, where a small figure lay curled up toward the wall, unmoving.

“Hey, is she all right?” His protective instincts kicked in and he quickly moved over to her, dropping to his knees.

“Hasn’t moved since they brought her in a few hours ago.”

Jake winced at the bruises and cuts that marked the woman’s arms. “Miss, can you hear me?”

When she didn’t respond, Jake hesitantly swept some of the dark hair off her pale face.

His own face drained of color as realization slammed into him like a mack truck. “Oh my God. Heather,” he whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

In the place of darkness, the quiet was broken by the sound of someone calling her name. It sounded soft and melodic at first, then, it grew more anxious, higher-pitched.

Distantly she wondered what was wrong. Someone was upset and her instinct was to try and calm them down. It's what she did in times of crisis. It's why she was a good teacher. She was used to putting others before her, making sure their needs were met first and foremost. She could tuck things away into corners of her brain to deal with later if she wasn't busy. But Heather was always busy so dealing with and processing emotions was never a high priority for her.

"Heather!" the voice whispered urgently.

Groaning involuntarily as pain began to permeate the edges of her mind, she felt a warm hand pressed lightly to her cheek and she turned her head toward the touch.

"Come on," the voice whispered. "Open those pretty blue eyes for me."

Her eyebrows furrowed a little at the desperation in his voice and she opened her eyes to see a blurry figure hovering over her.

"Heather. Can you hear me?"

She blinked a few times to clear her vision. Then her brow furrowed once more--this time with confusion. "Jake?" It hurt to talk and she moved a hand to her throat.

"Easy," he whispered. "You're hurt pretty bad. Try to stay still, okay?"

It made no sense that Jake Green was here with her, let alone that he was so upset. "What's wrong?"

"Shh." He gently touched her forehead. "Did Constantino and his men do this to you?"

Constantino.

Memories flooded back to her at the mention of the name and she tensed. "Mortars," she whispered.

"What?" He frowned.

"New Bern… making mortars. They're going to…invade Jericho. Jake, you have to find Eric."

* * *

Jake stared at her with wide eyes. "Do you know where he is?" His concern for his brother warred with his fear for Heather's health and safety.

"Last…I saw…running. He was trying to…get back." Her words were rough, barely audible. Like the very effort of speaking was hurting her.

It probably was.

He drew in a breath and touched her arm lightly. "Good. That's good. He's probably home by now," he said with more assurance than he really felt.

"Good," she whispered, her eyes drifting shut.

His heart thudded against his chest. "Hey, hey. Stay awake, okay?"

"Tired."

"I know. I know you're tired, but…" Jake glanced around. "If you don't talk to me, I might start talking to myself and I don't think this town has any good therapists. I wouldn't wanna end up in their version of a mental ward."

The faintest trace of a smile touched her lips. "No, wouldn't want that."

He swallowed hard. "I'm gonna get us outta here, all right?"

She licked her cracked lips. "Don't worry about me. If you can get out--"

"Heather. I'm not leaving here without you, so forget it." His voice was quiet, but firm. He glanced toward the cell entrance, chewing his lower lip, deep in thought.

"Too many guards," she whispered.

He looked back at her. "Have a little faith in me," he said lightly.

She didn't smile. "I do."

Jake's smile slipped as he gazed at her for a long moment, his stomach knotting.

Her eyes slowly drifted shut once more.

"I'm gonna get us out of here. I promise," he whispered gently, tucking some hair behind her ear.

He just hoped like hell that Eric had made it back to Jericho.


	5. Chapter 5

When Heather woke next, it wasn't because someone was calling her name. It was because somewhere very close by, angry voices were shouting. The breath caught in her throat and she held perfectly still.

Pretend you're asleep, she heard her mother whisper.

"I'm not letting you take her anywhere!" Jake's voice was harsh, fierce.

"Fine. We'll take you both." Constantino's voice was a study in calmness compared to Jake's.

Heather tensed a little, then forced herself to relax. She needed to save every ounce of strength and energy in case a moment of escape presented itself.

The guard grabbed her roughly by the left arm, dragging her none-too-gently to her feet.

"You son of a bitch," Jake snarled.

She slowly opened her eyes to see two guards restraining Jake as the third yanked her out of the cell. She met his furious gaze with a calm, gentle smile, albeit brief.

"Take them to room 26," Constantino ordered.

"You got it, Boss."

The guard pulled her unceremoniously down the dark corridor and into a room with a metal table and a few chairs. He all but threw her into the chair farthest from the door.

A moment later, Jake was shoved into one of the chairs across the table from her as well, his eyes dark with hate as he glared at Constantino when the taller man stepped into the room.

"Now if both of you behave, no one here has to get hurt." He moved so he was leaning against the wall behind Jake.

"What the hell do you want?"

"Easy there, Jake. We just want some information."

"Information. About what?" He shook his head.

Heather shut her eyes momentarily.

"About Jericho. Nothing too complicated," he said nonchalantly.

She opened her eyes again and looked directly at Jake, shaking her head ever-so-slightly.

He met her gaze for the briefest of moments, realization flickering over his features. "Well you can forget it. I'm not telling you a damn thing."

Constantino sighed. "Thought you might say that."

One of the guards moved forward so quickly, Heather didn't get a chance to shout a warning. He struck Jake between the shoulders with his baton.

"Jake!"

He groaned, grimacing in obvious pain. "I'm okay."

"Now, let's try this again. Tell us what kind of security Jericho has. How many men, what kind of training they've had, what kind of arsenal your town has--"

"Go screw yourself," Jake bit out.

He smirked. "Just like your old man. My guess is you're as stubborn as she is when it comes to dealing with pain, aren't you?" Constantino moved slowly around the table, then stopped behind Heather's chair, resting his hands on her shoulders.

"Get your hands off her," Jake ordered, getting to his feet only to have another baton club him--this time in the ribs.

"Sit down!"

"Leave him alone!" Heather said angrily.

He looked down at her with surprise. Then a smirk spread across his face and she felt her stomach knot. "Well, I think we found your weakness," he said very softly, bending down to whisper in her ear.

She shuddered and tried to pull away from him.

"How about you tell us everything you know about Jericho, or you'll get to watch Jake here die a really slow, painful death."


	6. Chapter 6

"Heather, don't," Jake said, giving her a look. The third blow came from his left this time, colliding with his head. White hot, fiery pain erupted in front of his eyes, but he gritted his teeth against it, refusing to make a sound.

"Get it." Constantino nodded to the guard by the door.

He didn't know what "it" was, but whatever it was made Heather's eyes widen with fear.

"No! I'll tell you what you want to know, just…don't hurt him." Her voice trembled and she avoided his eyes as he shook his head.

"Don't!"

Constantino smirked. "That was easier than I expected it to be." He moved so he was sitting on the table in front of her, blocking her entirely from Jake's view.

Jake gritted his teeth and glared up at the guard who was towering over him, holding a baton threateningly. "Heather, don't tell him anything!"

"All of Jericho's civilians over the age of fourteen have been trained to be part of the new police force," Heather said, her voice shaking only slightly.

"All of them? Women too?"

Jake could hear the sneer in her voice when she responded. "Damn right. Jericho isn't a town filled with damsels in distress."

Jake almost grinned at her words. She was definitely right about that.

"So if you think you're just gonna waltz in and take over, you better think twice."

"She's right," Jake spoke up, wanting to take Constantino's attention off Heather. "Jericho's a lot more prepared because of Ravenwood. And yeah, I get you're pissed because you had no warning. We didn't either. But instead of turning against our neighboring towns, we've been focusing on survival. So if you wanna hold a grudge, go ahead, but you'll be sorry."

He didn't notice the slight movement behind the guards at Constantino's side, so when he heard the loud thunk followed by a cry of pain, he was startled to see one of them drop to the floor.

Everything happened at once.

Jake didn’t realize that it was Heather who had knocked out the guard until his eyes darted to her slender form holding a chair. Before he cold even think about it, he was tackling the guard nearest him, landing a hard punch to the guy’s nose, knocking him unconscious.

Jake barely had a chance to react before the other guard went for his baton. "Back up!" he said angrily, aiming the gun at the other man. His gaze flickered momentarily to Constantino. "You make one move toward her and you'll be dead before you hit the floor."

Constantino sneered. "Big talk, considering how many more guards are in this building."  
Not taking his eyes off the man, he lifted his chin. "Heather?"

"I'm okay. He hits like a girl," she said, as she lifted her hand to her newly split lip.

A ghost of a smile touched his face but disappeared quickly when Constantino glared at Heather hatefully. "Don't look at her."

Constantino smirked. "So you finally ditched what's her face? Emily something?"

"Shut your mouth right now." He glanced at Heather. "Can you get up?"

She winced as she slowly got to her feet, leaning heavily against the wall.

By the look of things, she wouldn't be able to keep it up much longer. He thought quickly.

There was no way they'd be able to make it out of New Bern without divine intervention unless Hawkins had managed to come up with one hell of an escape plan.

And right now the odds weren't in their favor.

Jake nodded to Constantino. "Sit."

Still smirking, the sheriff did as he was told.

"You too," he commanded the remaining guard. When they'd sat down as instructed, Jake moved to one of the unconscious guards and removed his set of handcuffs. "Move your chairs so you're back to back."

"You're not going to make it far out that door," Constantino said idly.

Ignoring him, Jake used two sets of handcuffs to bind the men to each other. Then he grabbed the other guard's gun and moved to Heather's side.

Her face was all white except for the cuts, bruises and dried blood. She looked like she could pass out any second.

Jake gazed at her intently. "I need your help to get us out of here."

Her blue eyes were tired, but they sparkled with determination that matched his own. "What do you want me to do?"

He smiled faintly at the resolve in her tone.

Maybe they'd make it out of this mess alive after all.


	7. Chapter 7

Heather's breathing was ragged, but she managed to keep it under control and out of Jake's notice as she clutched the pistol in her hand. The steel handle was cold against her palm and her heart pounded heavily in her chest.

"Stay close. Right behind me, okay?"

She had it all right.

"We're gonna make it out of this."

If it had been anyone else, she'd think he was full of crap. But somehow when Jake said something, she believed it. "I know," she murmured.

He turned his head to look over at the bound and gagged men, then caught her gaze and held it for a brief moment. "Ready?"

"Let's do this."

As soon as Jake opened the door he saw Hawkins with a gun pressed to a deputy’s head.

Heather blinked in surprise.

"Cavalry's here," Hawkins said with a smirk.

Jake's eyes were wide. "Other guards?"

"Don't ask."

"You took them all out yourself?"

"Not exactly." He stepped aside to reveal Russell, Ted, and a couple guys she didn't recognize.

And Roger.

Jake regarded the latter for a brief moment, and then looked at Hawkins. "Is it too much to hope we're all clear?"

"Understatement," he replied grimly.

"What do we do?"

"We have a truck waiting. If we can get to it and drive like hell, we might make it out alive," Russell informed him.

“Better than my plan,” Jake said.

"Don't sell yourself short," she murmured, resting her head momentarily against his back.

"Heather. God. Are you all right?" Ted asked anxiously, peeking around Jake to look at her.

"Never better," she said with a forced smile.

Jake turned slightly to look at her. "We're almost out of here."

They were far from it, but she nodded slightly, drawing a breath and trying to choke back a sudden onslaught of nausea.

"Let's do this."

* * *

Jake had never forgotten what it felt like to be shot at, but he prayed one day he would. He also prayed that Heather would be able to forget easier than him.

Crouched low behind a stack of crates, he felt her pressed against him. He felt every shudder that passed through her body and he wished there was time to comfort and reassure her, but one wrong move and they'd both be dead.

Between the sound of her ragged breathing and the bullets whizzing by their heads, Jake had a sinking feeling they didn't have much time.

Lifting his gun, he kept his voice low. "Time to move. No matter what, don't look back and don't stop."

"Got it," was her quiet response.

"Count of three. One."

"Two."

"Three!" He got to his feet, pulledher along with him and darted to the left. The truck wasn't that far--but it seemed like miles considering the shower of gunfire.

His heart thumped heavily in his chest. Grabbing Heather's hand, he pulled her down behind a short brick wall. "Listen. You think you can run?"

"I think so."

"I'm gonna create a distraction while you run for the truck."

"What?" Her eyes were wide. "Forget it."

"Heather, there isn't time to argue. I'll be right behind you." Without giving her a chance to respond, he rose to his feet and darted off to the right. "Hey!" He watched from the corner of his eye as she made a beeline for the truck. He ducked behind the wall again when he saw she had made it.

"Jake! Come on!" He heard Hawkins shout.

He peeked around the wall and grimaced as a bullet whizzed by his head just inches away. "Shit." Drawing in a breath, he rose to his feet and made a run for the truck.

Just feet away from the truck, he was intercepted by a large man toting a rifle and pointing it at his head.

A single shot rang out and he felt the air leave his lungs in a rush as the man hit the ground with a sickening thud.

He looked up, expecting to see that Hawkins had saved him again.

But it wasn't Hawkins.

Heather stood in the back of the pickup still holding the pistol he’d given her earlier. It was aimed at the fallen man.

The look of shock on her face registered in his mind for the briefest of moments before he remembered where they were. He ran to the truck, climbing into the back as Russell gunned the engine and sped them away from City Hall, past Ted's trailer, and out of New Bern.


	8. Chapter 8

The ride back to Jericho was a tense, hushed one. Russell and the man Jake didn’t know sat up front, while Roger, Ted, Hawkins and Heather sat in the back with him.

He kept his gaze trained on Heather even though she avoided looking back at him. He felt Hawkins casting him a worried look, as well, but he couldn't be bothered to acknowledge the other man's worry.

He had enough of his own to deal with for the moment. He watched Heather as she actually seemed to shrink within herself, her eyes glassy and haunted until she finally shut them.

Swallowing hard, he glanced at Ted and caught the other man looking at him evenly. "What?"

Ted glanced at Heather, then back at Jake. "She's terrified of guns."

His eyebrows furrowed a little at his grave tone. He could understand that. Heather didn't have a lot of experience around weapons, and just from what he knew about her, she was more of a peace-keeper than a fighter. But there was something in Ted's voice that made him realize there was more to it. "A lot of people are."

He gazed intently at Jake, then looked away.

Jake glared at Ted. "What aren't you saying?"

"It's not my place."

"You brought it up."

Ted looked at him once more. "If and when Heather decides to tell you is up to her. Not me."

Jake gazed at him, feeling another knot of anxiety twist in his stomach as he shifted his eyes back to her unconscious form.

What haven't you told me? He wondered.

* * *

The sound of a gunshot reverberated in her ears and she woke with a start, jerking as she felt arms winding around her.

"Easy. Easy, it's just me."

Jake's voice rumbled against her ear as he lifted her out of the truck.

"Where are we?" she whispered, struggling to lift her head.

"A few miles outside Jericho. Russell's truck broke down."

She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Guess we better start walking."

"No, we're bunking down for the night," he told her.

"Jake, what if Constantino and his men come after us?" She looked at him worriedly.

"They won't. Not tonight anyway."

"You don't know that."

"Heather, trust me." His voice was quiet.

She shut her eyes. "Where's everyone else?"

"They went on ahead."

Her eyebrows furrowed.

"They're gonna get a car and come get us."

"Oh."

"It'll be awhile. Might as well get comfortable." He carried her away from the truck and toward a barren oak tree, where he'd spread a couple of blankets on the ground.

"I can walk."

"Probably," he agreed, but didn't put her down until they made it to the tree.

She winced involuntarily and curled up on her side. To her surprise, Jake laid down beside her, winding an arm around her gently and pulling her close.

"Gotta stay warm," he murmured.

She swallowed hard, shutting her eyes.

"When Stanley told me you and Eric were missing…all I could do was imagine the worst." His voice was quiet, warm against her ear. "And when I saw you in that jail cell, I thought--"

"I'm okay, Jake."

"You're a long way from it." He pulled away to look at her. "What did they do to you?"

She shook her head. "It's not as bad as it looks."

He was silent for a moment. "We need to talk, Heather."

She flinched. "Not tonight. Please."

"Not tonight," he agreed quietly. "But soon." He stroked her hair gently, as if he really cared about her.

Tears sprang to her eyes at the tenderness. It wasn't something she was accustomed to. It's just Jake, she told herself. He's the town hero. He takes care of everyone. "Okay," she whispered.

"Get some rest." He pulled her a little closer and her forehead rested against his collarbone.

"Jake?"

He shifted a little. "Yeah?"

"Thanks for getting me out of there."

"I wasn't gonna leave you," he murmured, resting his chin on top of her head. "Rest. I'll keep watch."

Heather shut her eyes once more, allowing silent tears to fall even as she fell asleep in his arms.


	9. Chapter 9

“Jake!”

He jerked his head up off the cold ground at the sound of his mother’s voice. “Mom.” He shifted his hold on Heather, who remained asleep.

“God, Jake, what happened to her?” Stanley asked anxiously as he hurried over from the Green’s truck.

“Constantino,” he answered, carefully picking her up once more.

“Jake, your head,” Gail whispered, touching his cheek.

“I’m okay. But we need to get Heather to Kenchy. She’s a lot worse off than me.” He carried her toward the truck, meeting his father’s eyes briefly.

“Son?”

“We’ve got problems. New Bern--”

“Was making mortars. Eric told us,” Johnston interrupted. “One crisis at a time. Let’s get her to the med center.”

Nodding, Jake climbed into the truck, cradling Heather’s unconscious body against his chest. “Heather. We’re almost home.”

Gail leaned up through the window from the back. “How’s her breathing?”

“Steady, but shallow. Dad--”

Johnston stepped on the gas pedal. “On it.”

* * *

“Kenchy!” Jake shouted as he carried Heather through the front door of the med center.

“I’ll get a gurney,” Gail said quickly, moving past him.

“Jake?” Emily moved toward him, her eyes wide with alarm. “Oh, God. What happened? Is she okay?”

“I don’t know. She’s been unconscious for a few hours.” He gently laid her down on the gurney his mother wheeled over.

“I’ve got her,” Gail told him firmly before wheeling her down the hall toward Kenchy.

Jake stared after her, his chest aching painfully.

Emily’s expression mirrored her own as she lay a hand on his arm.

“She’ll be okay, Jake.” Stanley gazed at him. “It’s Heather. She’s tough.”

Nodding mutely, Jake stared anyway, hoping he was right.

* * *

“You’re worthless, just like her!”

Heather whimpered almost inaudibly, turning her head painfully to one side. She slowly opened her eyes, and saw Jake slumped in a chair by her bed, asleep.

Her eyebrows furrowed a little as she tried to figure out where she was and why Jake was unconscious beside her, but her mind was too foggy to make sense of anything.

“Welcome back,” said a warm voice to her left.

She turned her head. “Mrs. Green?” Her voice was weak. It hurt to talk. For that matter, it hurt to breathe.

Gail tucked some hair behind her ear. “Hello, Sweetheart. How are you feeling?”

“Fuzzy,” Heather admitted.

She smiled faintly. “You’re in the med center in Jericho.”

She let that sink in and glanced at Jake.

“He’s been here all night. Emily was here, too. She went to get some coffee.”

Heather suddenly had a vivid memory of a guard striking Jake with a baton and she winced. “Is he okay?”

“He’s just fine. Thanks to you.” Her eyes watered. “He told us you saved his life.”

She swallowed hard and dropped her gaze. “He saved mine first.”

“Living for danger is becoming a pattern for both of you.”

“What do you mean?”

Gail looked up. “The med center is powered again because of you.”

“Oh.”

She smiled a little and kissed Heather on the forehead.

“Mrs. Green?”

“Yes?”

She hesitated. “Eric told me about April and the baby. I’m really sorry.”

Gail managed a tight smile. “Thank you. I’m sorry too. But I’m very glad that you’re home safe again.”

“It’s good to be home,” Heather whispered, shutting her eyes.

“Get some rest,” she heard Gail say softly, echoing Jakes’s words from before.

“New Bern’s going to come after us,” she said sleepily.

Gail paused. “Don’t worry about that. Just focus on getting better.” She smoothed her hand gently over Heather’s forehead as she drifted off to sleep.

Gail’s gaze moved to Jake and she drew in a breath, wondering how long it would take him to realize what was in front of his eyes.

It would be a long road, she knew. Because the Green men were nothing if not stubborn.

* * *

He watched her as she slept, his eyes never leaving her bruised face. He hadn't meant to fall asleep earlier, but exhaustion had forced him to shut his eyes and when he awoke it was morning. His whole body was stiff and sore and if he felt as bad as he did, but he knew Heather was going to feel about ten times worse.

She was Heather. And she wouldn't acknowledge her pain, let alone complain about it.

He watched as her eyebrows furrowed and her face contorted into a grimace. A soft, barely audible whimper escaped her.

Jake stood up slowly and reached out to touch her arm. "Heather. Hey, it's okay. You're safe."

She opened her eyes and turned her head toward him. He watched the emotions flicker over her face and when she settled, she gave him a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. He gazed at her sadly.

"You didn't have to stay."

"Yes, I did," he said quietly. He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "I shouldn't have let you go to New Bern."

"Jake--"

"I didn't think I had a right to ask you to stay."

She fell silent for a long time. "Are you all right?"

"Me? Yeah. I'm fine. You're the one I'm worried about."

"Shocking." A trace of a real smile touched her lips. "You always worry about everyone else first."

He gave her a smile and teased her back, "Look who's talking."

"Hey. You're awake."

Jake glanced at the door to see Emily standing there uncertainly.

Heather looked over as well. "Hey, Em."

Emily smiled at her and stepped inside the room, moving over to the other side of Heather's bed. "How are you feeling?"

Jake rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm gonna…go find Eric." He glanced at Heather for a moment, then at Emily before heading out the door.

Heather watched him go, then looked up to meet Emily's concerned eyes. "Long time no see."

"Tell me about it." Emily sat down in the chair, not taking her gaze off her friend.

"I'm sure you know this, but Roger--"

"Came back with you guys." A genuine smile touched Emily's face. "Gray wasn't very happy but…Jake and his dad managed to plead Roger's case."

"So he can stay?"

She nodded. "For helping save two of Jericho's biggest town heroes."

Heather shook her head a little. "I don't fall in that category, Em."

"I have to disagree," she said quietly. She reached over and took Heather's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I missed you."

"Ditto." Heather offered her the brightest smile she could muster. "So, think you can round me up some clothes?"

Emily's eyebrows furrowed. "Some clo--no way. I'm not helping you escape the hospital."

Heather sighed and struggled to sit up, wincing.

"Heather, stop. Look, you're hurt. You need to be here right now."

She gave her a wry smile. "I'm okay. It's not that bad."

"Right. People have concussions, broken ribs, and fevers every day. No big deal. Yeah, I talked to Kenchy."

"I'm leaving whether you help me or not," Heather said, keeping her voice light. She pulled the blankets off and slid her legs over the edge of the bed slowly.

Emily groaned. "Do you always have to be so stubborn?"

She paused, then grinned. "Yeah."

Shaking her head, Emily moved across the room. "I figured you might do this." She opened a knapsack. "So I brought some of my clothes for you. You're a little shorter than I am, but it's close enough."

Heather nodded a little and accepted the blue blouse and jeans, wincing involuntarily as she shimmied out of the hospital gown and tugged the clothes on.

"God, Heather."

Heather turned to look at Emily, only to see that her friend’s face had drained of all color, her mouth opened in shock. She paled a little when she realized what Emily had seen. “It’s not as bad as it looks, Em.”

"Then why can't you look me in the eye?" Emily's voice was barely a whisper.

Heather was silent.

"What the hell did they do to you, Heather?"

* * *

"Jake."

He turned to see his brother walking toward him and he exhaled, moving to embrace him.

"How's Heather?"

He pulled away. "Pretty banged up. Some broken ribs."

Eric grimaced. "She'll be okay?"

Jake looked away. "Physically."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Long story. What happened?"

Eric was quiet for a moment. "We found a map of Jericho in the factory. And a list of--"

"All our supplies."

He nodded. "Then we found the mortars so we came up with a plan to destroy the factory. Heather set up some kind of explosion and the place caught on fire, but they caught it too soon--they got the fire out and came after us." He hung his head. "We ran, but they caught Heather. And I managed to escape."

Jake gazed at him silently.

"I shouldn't have left her."

"Don't."

"You wouldn't have left." Eric looked at him. "Whatever happened to her in there was my fault."

"Don't say that." Jake shook his head. "Constantino and his men--they're the ones responsible for what's happened. Not you."

"Jake." Eric's voice was quiet.

He looked at him once more.

"New Bern's going to try and take over this town."

"I know."

"A war's coming."

Jake was silent for a moment. "Then we better get ready."


	10. Chapter 10

Jake walked into the hospital room, startled to find Heatherin the process of pulling a jacket on. "Whoa, what are you doing?"

Heather turned at the sound of Jake's surprised voice. His expression was one of concern and anger.

"What's it look like I'm doing?"

"It looks like you'd better get back into that bed to get some rest," he retorted.

"Well, forget it. We've got bigger things to worry about now, Jake."

He stared at her.

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. New Bern's getting ready to attack and we have to figure out what to do."

"And we will, but you--"

"Know more about New Bern and their plans than anyone else." She gazed at him. "Face it, Jake. You need me. This town needs me."

He looked down at the floor.

She felt her heart contract at his lack of response. "Just tell me where we're meeting."

"Bailey's. One hour."

"I'll be there." She moved past him and out the door. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes and she blinked them back rapidly.

She hadn't cried when Constantino's men had tortured her. She sure as hell wouldn't cry over a rejection from someone.

Not even Jake Green.

* * *

There was a murmur of panic from the crowd in Bailey's Tavern as Jake walked inside. He spotted his parents and Eric immediately, his eyes seeking out Emily and Heather next.

Emily stood not far from his mother, Roger beside her, while Heather appeared to be AWOL. Instantly his stomach knotted as he searched the sea of familiar faces but didn't see her.

Dread settled upon him like a heavy cloud and just as he was about to take off looking for her, he turned to see her step inside the bar, looking upset and uncertain.

He slowly moved toward her, only to be cut off by Gray Anderson.

"What the hell is going on, Jake?" he demanded. "Eric said New Bern's planning to attack us!"

"Heather and Eric are going to explain what's going on to everyone," he said, stepping around him and moving toward Heather once more, gritting his teeth in frustration when he saw she was surrounded by a group of teachers from the school.

"Jake?" Stanley was suddenly in front of him, with Mimi, Bonnie and Sean in tow.

"I know." He nodded, meeting his oldest friend's eyes.

"How bad is it?" Mimi asked, almost inaudibly.

Jake looked at her wordlessly and she reached out and grasped Stanley's arm.

"All right, everyone, listen up!" Gray stood on top of the bar and looked out over the crowd. "We have new information on the situation with New Bern."

Jake glanced at Eric and Heather, his body tense.

Gray looked expectantly at Eric, who stepped forward. There was a cut down the side of his face, but he'd clearly fared better than Heather had. "New Bern has converted part of their factory into a weapons refinery. They've been making mortars," he began.

“New Bern has converted part of their brake assembly plant into a weapons factory.

The crowd began talking nervously amongst themselves. Eric continued, talkign louder to be heard of the crowd. "They're planning to take over Jericho by force if necessary. They have detailed maps of this town and all of our resources."

"What are we gonna do?" someone called out.

"We have to pack up and leave. There's too many of them!" someone else yelled.

"Now hold up just a minute," Johnston spoke up, looking over the crowd. "Do you really wanna hand over this town--all your homes--to a man like Phil Constantino?"

The crowd fell silent.

"If we all make a stand together--every one of us--then we have a chance."

"New Bern's three times the size of Jericho," Gray said, shaking his head. "And God only knows how many mortars they have."

The anxious chatter started up again.

"Thirty. Forty, tops."

Jake turned to see someone helping Heather up onto the bar. Her grimace of pain didn't go unnoticed.

"What?" Another person yelled.

Heather spoke up, "Thirty, maybe forty mortars. There were more but Eric and I managed to destroy the others."

Gray stared at her. "That's still more than we have."

"I saw how they were made, Mayor Anderson."

"What are you saying, that--"

"I'm saying I know how to make them. I just need supplies and some people to help me. And something to launch them out of." Heather yelled, trying to be heard over the crowd.

Jake walked up to the bar, took Heather’s hand and looked up and met to meet her gaze. "Got you covered there. Already got something to shoot them out of.”

She gazed back at him, then looked at Johnston. "We can do this."

Johnston nodded slowly. "You just tell us what you need."

"I'll help," Stanley offered.

"Me too," Jake said, looking at the crowd as several others raised their hands.

Heather smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. "Then we better get busy."

* * *

Making the mortars took hours, a lot of Hawkins' personal weaponry supplies, and Heather was looking more and more exhausted with every passing moment. So much so, she wasn't even attempting to hide the fact she was in pain.

Stanley caught the worried look in Jake’s eyes and looked at Heather and announced, "I think we could all use a short break."

Jake nodded his agreement. "Yeah, and I'm sure we could get a team to take our place."

Heather was so focused on what she was doing, she didn't even look up.

Jake and Stanley exchanged another look, then Jake rose to his feet. "Heather."

She started and looked up at him blankly. "What?"

"Time for a break," he said in a quiet, firm tone.

"I'm good." She shifted her attention once more.

"Heather." There was a hint of exasperation in his tone.

"Jake, I said I'm fine!" One of the mortars she'd been working on rolled off the table and clattered loudly to the floor, causing everyone in the room to fall silent.

"Yeah, you're real fine."

Stanley grimaced and rose to his feet. "I'm gonna get some air," he said, heading out of the room.

"What is your problem?"

Jake stared at her. "My problem is you were tortured for three days, haven't slept, have broken bones, and you won't even take a break. You need to go home and rest."

Her face was a mask of neutrality. "I don't have a home to go back to."

His eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

She looked away. "My house is gone, Jake."

"I don't--"

"It burned down the same day Eric's did." She didn't look at him.

He stared at her. "Then where were you staying before you left for New Bern?"

Heather avoided his eyes. "I was renting a room from Mr. Brightman."

"Mr. Brightman? Larry Brightman? That guy's a jerk."

She didn't respond.

"Why didn't you say you needed a place to stay? We had room."

Heather looked at him like he'd lost his mind. "I wasn't going to beg your family for a place to stay when I had a huge crush on--" She cut herself off, her cheeks turning pink.

"Beg?" His voice grew a little softer. "You wouldn't have had to beg. You could've had my room, Heather. I would've taken the couch."

She dropped her gaze again. "Jake, New Bern's going to attack Jericho. It's just a matter of when. We don't have much time."

"We have twenty of these already, plus a tank. You're hurt and you need sleep, Heather. Let me take you home," he pleaded.

"I don't have one," she said softly.

Jake gazed at her. "You do now."


	11. Chapter 11

"I don't know about this." Heather looked at him in the dim glow of the flashlight.

"Trust me, it's fine."

"Are you sure your parents won't mind?"

"Yes. I know for a fact my mother would insist."

She still looked hesitant.

Jake took a step closer to her. "Tell you what. You take my room, okay? And I'll take Eric's."

"Jake--"

"Just get some rest. I'll be right across the hall if you need me, okay?"

"Okay," she finally agreed.

He headed across the hall, then paused and turned. "Oh. You can wear something of mine to sleep in. There's pajamas in the dresser. Hey, Heather?"

"Yeah?"

He gave her a teasing grin. "I happen to like flannel pajamas."

Her cheeks flushed and she was grateful for the semi-dark. She watched as he turned and disappeared into his brother's old room.

Swallowing hard and clutching the flashlight to her chest, she slowly stepped into his room and shut the door. She set the light down on the nightstand, then crossed the floor to the dresser and opened the top drawer. Sure enough, it was filled with flannel pajamas.

A grin tugged at her lips involuntarily and she changed into a blue pair quickly, folding the clothes Emily had let her borrow and setting them atop the dresser.

Tucking her hair behind her ears, she pulled the covers back on his bed and bit her lip as she sat down gingerly. Then a wave of exhaustion washed over her and she yawned, pulling the blankets to her chin and laying her head on the pillow.

It smelled like Jake.

Sighing inaudibly, she fell asleep within moments.

* * *

Jake woke less than three hours later, startled by a frightened cry.

Heather.

Jerking up in bed, he was out the door in five seconds flat. He crossed the hall and opened the door, surprised to see her still asleep--although from the way she was tossing and turning, it was anything but peaceful.

"Mom," she whimpered, her voice breaking.

He moved to her side. "Heather. Hey."

Tears streamed down her face as she wept onto his pillow, her breathing ragged.

"Hey, hey. Easy." He shook her very gently, not wanting to frighten her.

Her restless movements grew still. Then she murmured his name sleepily. "Jake?"

"Yeah, I'm right here." He hesitantly sat down on the edge of the bed. "You all right?

"Yeah, I'm okay." She sat up slowly and he watched her wipe away her tears.

"You know…we've never really talked about your family," he said softly.

She shrugged a little.

"Was your mom…did she die in the attacks?"

"No," she said faintly.

Jake gazed at her, sensing there was a lot she hadn't told him. Maybe hadn't told anyone. "Well, if you wanna talk about it, you know where I live."

She smiled a little. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Think you can get back to sleep?"

He caught her grimace.

"Yeah. I'm sorry I woke you."

"Don't worry about it." He started to rise to his feet, but she caught his arm and he looked at her curiously.

"Jake…I…can you…"

Even after all the months that had passed, she was still nervous around him. He decided to help her out. "You want me to stay?"

She looked relieved that he'd guessed her question. "Would you mind?"

He smiled. "No." He crawled under the covers beside her and was more than a little surprised when she shifted closer to him and rested her head on his chest.

He was always amazed by how she could be so shy and uncertain one minute, and then confident and bold the next. She kept him on his toes, that was certain.

Just another piece of the mysterious puzzle that was Heather Lisinki.

She felt warm and soft against him and he slowly lifted a hand to stroke her hair. "Goodnight."

But Heather didn't respond. Her breathing had already evened out and he smiled as he realized she'd fallen asleep again.

Jake, however, remained awake for a long time. Even though he had a list of reasons a mile long to worry about, he found himself feeling peaceful for the first time in years.

* * *

She woke slowly to the feel of warm sunshine on her face. She was comfortable and safe, Jake's arms wrapped around her. She listened to the sound of his heartbeat beneath her ear.

She was afraid if she opened her eyes, she wouldn't be there with Jake, but back in a cold, dirty cell in New Bern.

Or someplace even worse.

The breath hitched in her throat and she bit down on her lower lip. Beneath her, Jake shifted a little and she lay still, not wanting to wake him.

He murmured her name and lifted his head. "You okay?"

Guilt swept over her. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry I woke you…again."

He offered her a sleepy smile. "Don't worry about it. What time is it?"

She sat up slowly, suppressing a grimace as pain shot through her ribs. "Early. Sun's not completely up yet."

Jake yawned as sat up as well, stretching his arms over his head. "I should get back to--"

"Yeah, me too." Heather stood up, pressing a hand to her rib cage, inhaling sharply.

"Heather--

"I know. You think I should take the day to rest and recover."

"Well, yeah."

"I need to do this. I have to do my part."

"Your…Heather, you've done more than your fair share already. You got the lights back on for the entire town, you warned us about what New Bern was planning, you've shown us how to make mortars so we can defend ourselves against them…"

"It's not enough," she said quietly, not looking at him.

"The hell it isn't."

"Jake, I'm from New Bern."

It took him only a moment to figure out what she meant. "You might be from New Bern, but Jericho is your home and no one here is questioning your allegiance to this town. And if anyone does, they're going to answer to me."

She looked up at him, her eyes sad. She was deeply touched by his fierce display of loyalty. But that was Jake. "Thank you for having that kind of faith in me. And I understand what you're saying. But I need to be useful, Jake."

He stared at her, looking bewildered. "You--"

They were interrupted by the opening of the door.

Gail Green's expression registered surprise, then embarrassment. "I am so sorry--"

Heather's face flushed at the implication of what she must have been thinking. "Mrs. Green--"

"Mom, it's fine. We're just talking." Jake slid out of bed and stood up. "Her place burned down so she's staying with us."

"If that's a problem at all, it's okay," Heather interjected. "I can find someplace else--"

"Of course it's not a problem, Sweetheart," Gail interrupted, offering her a smile. "You're more than welcome here. In fact, I insist." She put her hands on Heather's arms.

"I just don't wanna cause you any trouble."

"Nonsense. We're happy to have you."

"Thank you, Mrs. Green."

"You're very welcome."

"Mom, tell her she needs to stay here and rest."

Heather shot him a look.

"Oh, he's right. Back to bed." She gently guided Heather back to Jake's bed. "I'll bring you some tea and something to eat."

"Mrs. Gre--"

"No arguing," Gail said with a look as she headed out the door.

"I can't believe you told your mother on me." She looked at him with accusing eyes. "That was low."

He shrugged. "Sorry, but you need your rest. You've been through a lot. Too much." If he hadn't sounded so concerned, she would've been angry with him.

"Fine. I'll stay here. For now."

Jake nodded. "I'm gonna change clothes and head in."

She watched him leave the room and sighed softly. Turning her head, she caught sight of a picture frame that was lying face down on the nightstand.

Glancing toward the door, she reached out and picked up the frame. Her stomach knotted as she gazed at the image of Jake and Emily, their arms around each other, smiling and happy.

And very much in love.

Tears filled her eyes but she blinked them back as she reached over and set the frame down once more, this time face-up.

The reminder would help keep her and her emotions from crossing a line not meant to be crossed.

And that was exactly what she needed.


	12. Chapter 12

It was late that night when Jake finally returned. He'd spent the entire day teaching other people from town how to make mortars. He wasn't nearly as a good of a teacher as Heather, and none of the town's people were as fast at accomplishing the task as she was.

But they were getting there.

Jake was still praying that they never actually had to use them, but he lived in reality and knew their time was running out.

The very thought filled him with dread.

Heart heavy, he crept up the steps, rubbing the back of his neck. He paused in the hallway, listening to the silence.

He couldn't stop himself from knocking very softly on the door to his bedroom. When he got no answer, he opened it, admitting to himself that he wanted to see Heather to assure himself she was really there.

Sure enough, she lay in the middle of the bed, fast asleep. Dark hair fell across her cheek, skin pale in the moonlight that seeped through the window blinds.

Jake watched her for several moments, then quietly retreated to Eric's bedroom, a faint smile on his face.

* * *

Despite the lingering feels of exhaustion, Heather was up an hour before sunrise the next morning. She fixed oatmeal for breakfast and left everything out on the table, creeping upstairs once more to get dressed in the clothes she'd borrowed from Emily. She folded up Jake's pajamas and laid them on the bed, her fingers wistfully trailing over the soft material.

Her gaze was automatically drawn to the picture on the nightstand.

She had never seen Jake or Emily look that happy before. A sad smile touched her lips. If they all lived through this upcoming war with New Bern, she'd do what she could to make sure they were that happy once more.

She owed that to both of them.

* * *

"Something smells good." Jake stepped into the dining room, surprised to find his mom and dad eating. Only one other place was set.

"Heather makes darn good toast without a working toaster," Johnston remarked, holding up a half-eaten slice.

"Speaking of Heather--" he began.

"Gone. She was already gone when we got up," Gail supplied.

Jake stared at her. "Gone? She left?"

"She's as stubborn as any other member of this family." She raised an eyebrow and pinned him with a look.

He sighed. "I'm gonna go find her."

"Shouldn't be too hard. I'm sure she's at Town Hall," Johnston told him.

Jake had no doubt his father was right about that. He shook his head and moved toward the door.

* * *

"Just like that." Heather nodded as she watched Mr. Newton work on the mortars. She placed a hand protectively over her rib cage, taking a slow breath.

"I'm pretty sure you're supposed to be resting."

She turned at the sound of Emily's voice and grinned. "What can I say? No rest for the weary."

Emily didn't smile. Her blue eyes were filled with worry as she gazed intently at her. "I'm serious, Heather. You have to take care of yourself."

"And I will. Just as soon as this work is done," she promised.

Emily sighed. "Does Jake know you're here?"

She stiffened.

"Jake figured it out," a wry voice responded.

Emily glanced past Heather to where Jake stood, looking none-too-happy.

"Okay, listen." Heather shot them each a look in turn. "I am perfectly fine. I'm not going to stay in bed when everyone else is working." She lowered her voice. "We all know what's coming. We need all hands on deck if we're gonna be ready."

Emily looked at the floor.

"Em, could you excuse us, please?" Jake reached out and gently took Heather by the arm, leading her out of the main room and toward the stairs.

"Jake-"

"We need to talk. Come on." He led her toward the only truly quiet place in the otherwise-busy building, the basement.

She sighed and stepped inside reluctantly.

Jake flipped on a large flashlight. "Sit down."

Heather moved across the room and planted herself in one of the chairs.

He drew in a breath and moved to sit down across from her, his gaze intent. "What's going on?"

She shook her head. "What are you talking about?"

"It's sort of like you don't care about what happens to you."

"That's not true. I just…I can deal, Jake."

"And no one's suggesting otherwise. You've just been dealing with a lot."

"Who hasn't?"

He sighed. "Most of us haven't been dealing with it alone."

"You mean besides you."

His eyebrows furrowed. "I haven't--"

"Jake, you've been playing town hero since the day of the bombs. You've done more to keep Jericho together, especially saving lives. Who have you been leaning on?"

He half-smiled. "We're not talking about me."

"I think we are. You keep saying I need to take care of myself, but you're not following your own advice."

"Heather--"

"Did you even tell anyone you were hurt in New Bern?"

He straightened. "I wasn't."

"Jake, I was there."

He looked away. "It's no big deal."

Heather rose to her feet slowly. "Right. It's only a big deal if it's someone else."

"Look who's talking," Jake said sharply.

"I'm a big girl. I've been taking care of myself for a long time."

He stood up. "If you'd just drop this tough girl act, you'd see that other people can help you out once in awhile."

She narrowed her eyes. "Okay. I'm just gonna go now." She moved past him and toward the door.

"Dammit, you are the most stubborn woman I've ever met!" He glared at her.

She turned and glared back at him. "Well, I'll take that as a compliment." She painfully folded her arms across her chest. "And I appreciate that you offered me a place to stay, but I think it'd be best for everyone if I found somewhere else to go."

"What?" He sounded truly surprised.

Heather avoided his eyes. "Jake, your family's great. But it's just too weird, okay?"

"What is?" He shook his head.

She shifted uncomfortably. "Me being there."

"Why is it weird?"

She sighed softly. "We really need to get back to work."

"Heather, what--"

He was interrupted by the sound of an explosion that literally rocked the walls.

"New Bern," he said grimly, moving toward the door.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she followed him, crying out when another explosion sounded, followed by a terrible rumbling.

"Jake!" she screamed as a large, heavy beam tumbled down toward him, knocking him to the floor. She quickly knelt down beside him, doing the best she could to shove fallen pieces of wood and drywall off him.

"God, are you all right?" There was the slightest hint of panic in her voice. She could recognize it now and it suddenly occurred to her that Constantino had been right. As much strength as she had, her greatest weakness was Jake Green.

"I'm all right." He groaned and shoved some of the debris off him.

A third explosion rocked the building and Heather crawled over him as even more debris fell like an avalanche around them, kicking up dust and dirt so thick it blotted out the light from the flashlight.

She felt his arms wrap around her protectively as they both choked from the dust. When it settled, she slowly pulled away from him, still coughing. Her gaze darted to the door. "Jake."

He looked at the place where the door had been. It was now replaced by rubble that was piled from ground to ceiling.

Jake looked at her. "I think we're trapped."


	13. Chapter 13

Jake grunted as he tried to clear away some of the fallen debris without much success. It was too high and too thick and frankly he was worried the roof might come down on them if he messed with it too much.

Which meant that they were definitely trapped.

And considering the war that just started outside, getting Heather and him out of Jericho's Town Hall basement would not be anyone's top priority.

He turned to see Heather, who was now sitting in the middle of the floor, eyes shut. "Heather?" he said uncertainly, startled by the blank expression on her face.

She didn't look up, flinching as an explosion hit somewhere on the street outside.

Jake drew in a breath and let it out slowly, hoping everyone he loved was safe. Right now there was nothing he could do for any of them. But maybe he could help her.

"Where are you?" he asked quietly, slowly moving over and sitting down in front of her.

"I killed a man." Her voice was barely audible.

Jake shut his eyes for a moment. He knew what it was like to walk around with another person's death on his conscience, even if it was under different circumstances. "It was self-defense," he reminded her gently.

"I took another person's life. I wonder if he had a wife. Or kids."

Jake winced. "You saved my life."

"I know that," she said quietly. "And I'm glad. But I don't know if I…" She shook her head.

"What?"

"I think maybe I'm just like him."

He barely heard her. "Just like who?"

"My father."

He stared at her, confusion marring his features. "Your father?"

She blinked a couple times and lifted her head to look at him. "Do you think we'll die in here?"

"Hey, hey. We are not gonna die in here, all right?" He reached out and touched her hand.

She reluctantly met his eyes.

"I'm not gonna let anything happen to you," he said, his eyes intense as he gazed back at her. To his surprise, her eyes watered.

"You're the only person who's ever made me feel safe," she whispered.

He tried to comprehend that. They'd only known each other for a few months--and sure, they'd been through the most traumatic event in the history of the world together, but she'd never felt safe before then? He watched as a tear trickled down her pale face and without even thinking about it, he reached up and gently brushed it away.

"Come here." He gently pulled her into his arms, mindful of the pain she was in. He buried his face in her hair, kissing her temple.

He felt her arms wind around him, her fingers bunching up his shirt.

"It's okay," Jake whispered.

Heather slowly pulled away to look at him, her blue eyes wild with emotion.

He was startled at the matching surge of emotion he felt, as well. He leaned closer, lifting a hand to her cheek. Their lips brushed together lightly at first, then with more urgency.

Her hands moved from his shirt to rest on the back of his neck as his eyes drifted shut. His other hand tangled in her hair, his heart pounding as she shifted closer, their bodies pressed together so tightly he could feel her heartbeat, as well.

It was over as suddenly as it had begun and she pulled away from him with an almost violent jerk. He opened his eyes, unsure of what to say.

Her face was flushed with embarrassment. "God. I am so sorry."

His eyebrows furrowed and the only thing he could think to say was, "Huh?" Right then an apology was the farthest thing from his mind.

"God, the town's being attacked and we're trapped and I threw myself at you."

He watched as she stood and began to pace. "Trust me when I say it was mutual."

"Even after everything. I'm so stupid."

"You're not stupid."

"No, just dense. I'm a science teacher. I live for proof and I've seen proof," she said as she paced.

Jake slowly rose to his feet. "Heather."

"What?" She didn't look at him.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Nothing. Let's just…let's just forget it."

He stared at her, bewildered.

"We need to find a way out of here." She flinched visibly as an explosion rattled the walls.

It occurred to him that the nervous rambling and flittering from one topic to another was her way of attempting to come to terms with how freaked out she really was. "Breathe," he said gently.

"I am breathing. We need to get out of here. People need our help."

"We're not going anywhere until someone digs us out," he said with regret. "It's too dangerous to try and move the rubble from our side. It'll bring the roof down on us."

She went stiff at his words, her back to him.

Jake slowly moved so he was standing behind her. "Look, we're gonna be okay."

When she didn't respond, he started to turn away. Then he realized she was trembling. He drew in a breath and gently rested his hands on her shoulders.

"We'll be okay."

"What about them?" Her voice was strained.

"There's nothing we can do. Whatever happens now, happens."

"Aren't you scared, Jake? Your family's out there…Emily's out there."

"My family's pretty resilient. And Emily can take care of herself. Besides, Roger's out there with her. He'll make sure she's all right."

He pulled her closer as the walls shook again. "We should bunk down. We're gonna be here for awhile."

She nodded wordlessly.

Jake reluctantly moved away from her and shone the flashlight around. He spotted a few scattered supplies from when the town had to take shelter from the fallout from Denver all those months ago. A half bottle of water, a package of beef jerky, a half-eaten bag of chips and a couple blankets.

Within a few minutes, he'd made a pile for them in the center of the room, away from both the cave-in, and the outside wall, knowing it was just as dangerous.

He motioned her over, then settled on the floor, propping his head up on one hand as he watched her slowly lie down beside him.

She curled up on her side, wincing as the floor brushed against her back.

"Hey, you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little sore."

He was silent for a moment. "What else did Constantino do to you, Heather?"

"Nothing." She shut her eyes.

Jake gazed at her intently. "Back there when he was interrogating us, he told his guards to 'go get it'. And you didn't even hesitate answering him. What did he want?"

"Leave it alone, Jake," Heather said wearily.

"I can't," he admitted. "I need to know."

She shook her head a little, falling silent.

"Let me see." Dread knotted his stomach.

"Let it go."

"Please," he whispered.

She lay beside him, still and silent, not protesting.

Swallowing hard, he hesitantly reached out, his fingertips whispering against her skin as he carefully slid up the back of her shirt.

He inhaled sharply, face paling at the multiple angry red marks.

"Jesus, what--"

"A whip." She tugged her shirt down once more, curling into herself protectively.

His stomach turned, sickened at what she'd been through in an effort to protect the town. To protect all of them.

"He's not gonna get away with what he's done," he whispered. "If he survives this war, he's the one I'm going after."

"Jake…"

"I promise you he'll pay. One way or another."

"Don't leave me."

He draped an arm around her protectively, mindful of her injuries.

"I'm not going anywhere." Jake vowed to himself that as long as he was alive, no harm would ever land on Heather Lisinski's doorstep again.

He wouldn't lose her.

He couldn't.


	14. Chapter 14

A day and a half had passed and a couple of times she was certain the building would come crashing down on them, but it hadn't yet. The fighting outside was closer now, loud, rapid gunfire and more explosions on the street, followed by screaming that she wished she could block out.

She lay quietly, wrapped in Jake's arms as they listened to it. She shivered involuntarily and he pulled her closer.

"Jake?"

"Hmm?"

"Where were you? Before." She knew she didn't have a right to ask. Not really. But her curiosity tended to get the better of her and now was no exception.

He was silent for a moment. "Before the bombs…San Diego. Before that…Iraq." His voice was low.

Somehow she wasn't really surprised. "You know that…she doesn't hate you right?"

"Who? Emily?"

She nodded a little, ignoring the ache in her chest.

"I know." He paused. "But she hasn't forgiven me and I don't blame her."

"You haven't forgiven yourself."

"I guess not. The things I did--"

"Are in the past, Jake," she said gently. "You're a different person now."

"Am I? Sometimes I'm not sure," he said distantly.

Heather lifted her head to look at him. "Well, I am. This town would be in serious trouble if you weren't here. Your dad would be dead. Eric and I, too."

He gazed at her for a moment. "You have a lot of faith in me."

She dropped her gaze. "I've never met anyone like you before."

A smile tugged at his lips. "Ditto that."

She drew in a breath and let it out slowly, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. "She will forgive you."

"Maybe. Maybe not. I accepted that a long time ago. We have a long history. And I owe her a debt I may never be able to repay."

She chewed her lower lip.

"Heather, there's something you should know." He gazed at her. "I'll always care about Emily. And I'll do whatever I can to keep her safe and see that she's happy. But we're not together."

"You could be."

"Emily's engaged to Roger. You should've seen the look on her face when she saw he'd come back from New Bern."

Heather didn't respond.

"I've moved on," he told her. "And so has she. There's too much history between us to consider going back. It would never work. And I don't want it to."

She looked at him, startled.

He smiled at her, then gently tucked some hair behind her ear. "Do you get what I'm saying?"

Heather swallowed hard, afraid to let herself believe him. Before she had a chance, his lips brushed against hers softly, his hand against her cheek.

Her eyes drifted shut and she kissed him back. Hoping she wouldn't regret it later.


	15. Chapter 15

Things outside were quiet now. Too quiet. Eerie, still. His stomach growled and his throat was dry. The beef jerky was long gone, and they'd drank all but a little of the water, as well. He was saving the rest for when she needed it.

"Jake?"

"Yeah?" he asked softly.

"It's not an act."

His eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"The tough girl thing. It's not an act."

Jake kissed her temple, letting her continue.

"It's survival. My family…it wasn't like yours."

"What was it like?"

"Hell," she murmured and he shut his eyes, stroking her hair. "My father was…"

He wanted to tell her that she didn't have to tell him, but she needed to. He could feel it.

"Cruel. Abusive."

"To you?" he asked quietly.

"And my mom." Heather closed her eyes.

"Why do you think you're like him?" he asked in confusion, realizing the answer before she spoke. His stomach tightened.

"He killed her, Jake. Shot her. We were gonna leave, but he came home early from work and caught us. He was furious, screaming at her."

Jake pulled her closer. "God, Heather. In front of you?"

"And then he shot himself." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I've always wondered why he didn't kill me too. Maybe it was his final act of cruelty."

He cringed. "Don't say that," he whispered, kissing her temple again. "How old were you?"

"Eight." She let out a shuddering breath.

It all made sense to him now. Ted's comment about her fear of guns, her nightmares, her desire to do everything in her power to help everyone she could because she hadn't been able to help her mother.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that," he whispered, his hand lingering on her cheek. "Ted knows?"

"He was my foster brother," she said quietly.

Jake pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Thank you for telling me."

She nodded silently.

"I can't change what happened, but I can promise I'm going to take care of you. You're not alone. Not anymore."

She lifted her head to gaze at him. "Neither are you."

He smiled a bit, then kissed her gently.

"Jake! Heather!"

He pulled away reluctantly, looking toward the cave-in. "Stanley?"

"We're gonna get you out of there!"

Heather's eyes were wide.

"Stanley, what's happening out there?"

"You won't believe it. The United States Army just showed up!"

"Is everyone all right?" He rose to his feet, helping Heather up as well.

"There were casualties on both sides, but you're family's all right, Jake."

"Thank God." He shut his eyes.

"What about Emily?" Heather asked anxiously.

"She's helping Mrs. Green at the Med Center. She said you two disappeared before the first mortar was launched and she thought you may be down here."

"The fighting's over?" Jake called, glancing at Heather sideways.

"Yeah, some damage to the town, but nothing we can't recover from. Hang in there. This is gonna take awhile!"

Jake turned to look at her and she smiled a bit, shyly.

"We're gonna be okay," he said, reaching out and taking her hand.

Heather met his eyes and gave his hand a squeeze. "I know."


End file.
